Month: August 2014

RIP Robin Williams….the world got just a little less funny. It is sad. While he made others laughed and he was well loved and liked and helped so many – no one could helped him in his depression and darkness. This is the worst part He appeared like a happy man but he was actually depressed. Makes me wonder how many people are like him. Sad indeed and waste of a talented and good man.

After reading so many stories on him and all his roles – you realize he was actually both a brilliant actor and comedian. It is a waste of a much loved, much liked and popular person in real life, not just reel life. Dead Poets Society is my favorite of all his movies and shows. He was brilliant and inspirational in this and showed how you can educate and grow brains, mind and heart and even soul. These types of teachers do exist – rare but inspirational.

It’s often very hard to understand why people can get depression. Many people have passed judgment on Robin’s decision to end his life, calling it selfish and stating, “How can someone with so many resources choose to do such a thing?” Here’s what the reality: Depression affects all socioeconomic and age groups and it is a dark battle and one not easy to win against it. To pass judgment on a mental illness that inflicts millions does nothing to bring understanding to the pain many people go through everyday, just trying to make it through.

It sometimes doesn’t matter if you are surrounded by people who love you and would do anything to take your pain away: the pain is still there and often it feels more powerful than the love of those close to us. We don’t know if that person ever gets a break from the voices that tell him or her that life is not worth living. We don’t know if those dark voices enter their dreams. And sometimes those that bring the most joy to others have to find a way to survive in their own mind. It’s therapy to bring happiness to people around them because the suffering knows what it like is to live in a place of darkness. .

Good thing is it can be managed with proper medicines, active lifestyle changes and very important support from loved ones and acceptance by the society. Often the latter is super tough and almost impossible. The social stigma is too huge. People are often ashamed of their pain and sadness because the world expects us to be happy, especially those that have more opportunities and wealth.

Pain and sadness should be more welcomed in this world, in that it loses its stigma. Perhaps if we could make this world a safer place to feel pain in, maybe those suffering from depression could feel more supported, instead of thinking they need to deal with it all on their own. I think what we can take from this is to continue to love on each other and to be understanding of someone’s pain. Be kind to people, because you never know what may really be taking place within their hearts and souls.